Protein-It's Not What You Think!

By Carol R. Keppler, M.EI

The use of protein in the diet is possibly the most misunderstood aspect of health. Americans have been on a protein binge since the 1940's when a scientific study on rats promoted the theory that the nation's health would improve if protein consumption was increased. What actually happened was an increase of kidney, heart and colon diseases including colon cancer.

In the 1980's, the study was repeated and it was discovered that rats actually needed eight times more protein than humans. Rats are carnivores with sharp, ripping teeth like cats, dogs and tigers; humans are herbivores with flat, grinding teeth like deer, cows and gorillas.

So they were wrong. But we never got the message and the American people continue living in fear of being "protein deficient" and dying from diseases that Third World countries have never heard of - perhaps because they can't afford to eat meat. The most impoverished people on the planet live on grains, beans and greens. With the high fiber content of their "poor" diet, they have few colon problems because toxins are cleared from their bodies on a regular basis. Could this be the reason for low incidence of diseases that are at epidemic levels in the United States? Cancer, heart disease and diabetes are virtually unknown in the midst of their poverty.

Not so in the United States where a seventy-two-hour colon transit time is the average. Meat and animal products are the culprits. With no fiber the end product is a gray paste, difficult to move through the colon causing putrefaction. Autointoxication from decomposing proteins poisons the body. The end result is disease as the blood and cells, overloaded with toxins, begin shutting down the body organ by organ. Excessive animal protein also affects the kidneys, which struggle in a vain attempt to clear uric acid from the blood. Uric acid or urea is the poisonous by-product of animal protein. The medical answer? Kidney dialysis - a lifetime of being hooked up to a machine to do the job of kidneys damaged by protein overload. That's animal protein; the body was designed to handle the protein of peas, beans and lentils.

Getting Enough Protein?

In our techno-crazy age of VCR's, typewriters and can openers, most everything comes with an "Owner's' Manual" except the human body. Actually the Bible might be considered an owner's manual. This body was originally designed by an all-wise Creator to live on fruit loaded with the fiber needed to cleanse the colon. It digests quickly and easily - about 15 minutes, allowing the body healing time. Fact: The body is in either a digestive mode or healing mode - never both at the same time. That's why fasting works so well to heal the body. Raw juice, with its vitamins, minerals, enzymes, amino acids and pure water, takes only about five minutes to digest making it a perfect formula for cleansing, healing and rebuilding the body.

Steer, those steak-producing creatures, are not fed the "protein" of meat, eggs or cheese, yet they never suffer from "protein deficiency". Why? Because they eat plenty of grass and hay loaded with amino acids, the building blocks that are precursors for protein production. In other words, when we eat steak we are getting second-hand protein forcing our bodies to breakdown the meat to get the amino acids out in order to build our protein. This process takes so much energy that the body ages rapidly. Studies of vegetarians prove this to be true; they retain their youthfulness way beyond the average. Take note.

Protein is used by the body for cellular growth and repair and the body's optimal wellness. Dr. Gabriel Cousens, a medical doctor and raw foodist and author, writes that "the biggest fear generated by pro-meat eaters and new vegetarians is about not getting enough protein". He reports that the opposite is true - we get too much protein whether from animal or vegetable protein, which tends to slow the flow of subtle energy in the system. He believes that everyone has his own perfect protein level easily recognized by that flow that translates into a feeling of well-being.

If we've said enough to cause you to rethink your position on protein but you don't know where to begin, here are some suggestions:

1. Experiment by dropping some of the animal protein from your diet and adding more fruit and vegetables, grains, peas, beans and lentils and invest in a vegetarian cookbook.
2. Try different soy products until you find the ones that appeal to you. Cutting products from your diet is a good way to clear the mucus from your system.
3. Eat more raw foods - start with more salads and fruit. "Un-cook books" are really fun!
4. You'll find amino acids in both health food stores and regular markets now. Bragg Aminos are soy based and contain all nineteen aminos. Add to soups and other dishes and use as a seasoning for vegetables, rice, etc. Delicious!
5. If you are still using milk products, sweet dairy whey (the whey from "curds and whey") tastes a bit like powdered milk and mixes well in juice. One to two tablespoons a day brings protein levels up quickly and provides food for friendly bacteria in the colon and glucose for brain function. (Bob's Red Mill Sweet Dairy Whey is best and can now be found in supermarkets. It's also low cost!)

One big concern is the low B¹² in the no-meat vegetarian diet, the trade off for correcting the pH balance through switching from an acidic animal-based diet to the alkalizing produce-based diet. Dr. Cousens suggests nutritional supplementation - already in the diet of all thinking people.

The Road to Better Health

I never thought I could be a vegan. I had been a vegetarian for seventeen years, but when I got the message that even the by-products of the animals could, and did, cause disease, it didn't take me long to switch to soy. It's all in a book Milk A-Z by Robert Cohen, a fearless fighter when it comes to uncovering the lies of the multi-million dollar dairy industry.

Cohen has even more cold hard facts on his website, notmilk.com, as well as in his interview on WorldTalkRadio.com. It's all there in the words of doctors, researchers and even with admissions from the dairy industry itself.

Learning the truth about something as ingrained as protein consumption may be, for many of us, too hard to swallow. However, if you or your family are having health challenges, you may want to consider experimenting with the alternatives. You'll never know unless you try.

References:

Robert Cohen, Milk A-Z

Gabriel Cousens, MD, The Rainbow Diet, Conscious Eating